Circuit-interrupting device



927 K. c. RANDALL ET AL CIRCUIT INTERRUPTING DEVICE Filed March so. 1921 WITNESSES: I VENTO Karl C.

1 andg ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

c. nANDALL, or EDcEwoon PARK, AND HERMAN K. ANSINGH, 0E MURRYS- VILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOBS r0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANU- IACTUBING column, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

CIRCUIT-INTERBUPTING DEVICE.

Application flied Iamh 80, 1921. Serial No. 456,881.

Our invention relates to circuit-interrupting devices and particularly to an arrangement of contact members and operating mechanism therefor.

One object of our invention is to provide a device of the above-indicated character that shall be Simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and effective in operation.

Another objectof our invention is to provide an electrical rotective and circuit-interrupting device t at shall comprise a substantially minimum number of parts so formed and related as to facilitate the installation operations to a substantially maximum degree and that shall require only ordinary tools and ordinary skill at the place of installation.

In electrical farm equipment, it is usual to receive power from a relatively highvoltage line. Switches and all other apparatus connected in circuit with high-voltage lines must, of course, be not only constructed to withstand electrical stresses but also to withstand the effects of use, time and weather.

It is, also. our aim to readily replaceable and, in particular, to have the protective parts. such as fuses and resistors, of very easy access and manipulation. \Vith respect to the latter parts, it is desirable that they beadapted for replacement with the greatest ease and safety because of their usual position of difficult accesss on a pole or tower and because of the fact that such replacements may be freqnently performed by the farmers themselves.

In practicing our invention, we provide a relatively simple metal-frame supporting structure for disposition at the upper part of a pole or tower. Ordinary pin-type insulators for supporting connections to the line are provided with hooded contact. portions projecting laterally therefrom. Tubular insulating members, pivoted at points intermediate their ends, carry yieldable contact members at their upper ends and enclose expulsion fuses in circuit with the contact members and the apparatus to be supplied. A horn-gap lightning arrester and a limiting resistor are supported on the tubular insulator and connected to ground through the supporting structure. A relahave all the parts tively long opera-ting arm extends from the device to a position near the base of the pole or tower and is connected, at its lower end, to an operating handle and a toggle mechanism by which the contact members may be maintained in their closed positions.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a circuit-interrupting device embodying our invention Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are front elevational, plan, and side elevational views. respectively, of the form of stationary contact member employed by us.

A metal-frame structure 1, comprises longitudinal angle members 2, transverse angle they are connected to high-tension lines (not shown) through conductors 10 and are also provided with laterally-extendin contact members 11 of substantially inverted channel-shape.

The contact members 11 are provided with bosses 11a of substantial wedge'shape at their outer ends, as shown more clearly in Fig. t, in order to cause an effective engagement with the movable contact members, as will be hereinafter described. It will be observed that the members 8. besides serving as supports for the terminals 9, also serve as stationary contact members and are formed in inverted channel-shape to protect the engaging surfaces of the relatively movable contact members from rain and snow.

A transversely-extending shaft 12, supported, near its ends, in the angle members 2, supports brackets or lever arms 13 which project outwardly therefrom.

The arms 13 are provided with clamping portions 14; which co-operate with clamping members 15 and bolts 16 to secure tubular insulating members 17 intermediate the ends of the latter. The insulating members 17 are provided, at their upper ends, with cap members 18 to which relatively thin yieldable contact members 20 are secured. The outer ends of the contact fingers 20 normally incline toward one another but, when brought into engagement with the outerend of the boss 11a of the channel member 11, are caused to spread as shown in Fig. 1 and thus eliectivelyiengage theeontact mem;

bers 11.

'rhe ef members "18 are "providedivith projections to which cl'iinipin 'ni'einbers"'24 and 28 are secured, and these an'iping rnerm bers serve as supports for horn-gap members 30. m

Each ofthe clamping members 24 and 28 supports a member 32 of, inverted cupshape for the reception of one end of a limiting resistor whichextends into: ai soeket-like terminal '34 that is supportedihfrom the clamping member 15. The resistors are slidably supported: in the'members 32 and 34 and may be readily sli dupwardly to permit removal of the lower ends from the terminals. 34 and, consequently, from the cupshaped members 32. i i

Each of the insulators 17 is provided with a longitudinal perforation 35 for the reception of an explosion fuse or other conductor member. The explosion fuse is retained in place by a cap member 36 that is detachably secured to the bottom of the insulator. The explosion fuses connectthe cap members 18 and the contact members 20 with terminals 37.

The shaft-l2 is provided with a bell-crank lever 38 of insulating material. A rod 39 has one of its ends pivoted on the outer end of the helhcrank lever 38 and its'other end pivotally connected, by a bolt 40, to an operating lever that is pivotallysupported on the pole 6 by a bolt 42. The relation of the bolts 40 and 42 is such that, when the operating lever 41 is in its upper position and and 11 are in e11 gagementf-the force on the leyer caused by the weight of the moving parts is directed ito hold, thelevc project"? 43% v the bottofu'iifportio o, .y i "leve 1 by means of 'apin orpacllock (hdfishoivrih flocking tl e rpoying parts of the apparatus -against movement.

. A paiiyiijj springs 45, eachof which has one end fastened to theshaft 12 and its other" end to one of theuangle members 2, serve as cushions for. the moving parts. i1

clVhilecwe have shown and; describedm the contact members 2 y for particular form of our.iinventiommchanges may .be efi'ected therein without I departing from the spirit and scope thereofliusrset forth; in the appended.claim.q I 1115i NV e claim as our lllvtilltlfllllvr we 'In an electrical protective :and cii'cuit interrupting device, the combinationmvith an elongated stationarycontact memberflofi substantially inverted channeleshape, iof ea relatively movable co-operating structure therefor comprising a rotatable supporting shaft cxtendiugpat substantially rightffangles to the saidr channel and a yieldableucon tact member formed andrelated to thestationary contact member to be readily guided into and out of engagement with the under side of the said channelmember and to com;- pensate for variations in the distancebe tween thelatter andthe center line of the shaft. i y

- In testimony whereof, we have :hereunto subscribed our names this March, 1921. a. KARL EC. RANDALL; 1

HfERhIAN-Ka ANSINGH. 1

25th :day a of 

